Mahershala Ali

Acting · Born 1974-02-16 in Oakland, California, USA

Biography

Mahershala Ali (/məˈhɜːrʃələ/ mə-HUR-shə-lə; born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on February 16, 1974) is an American actor. He has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked him among the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century. After pursuing an MFA degree from New York University, Ali began his career as a regular on television series Crossing Jordan (2001–02) and Threat Matrix (2003–04), before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science fiction series The 4400 (2004–07). His first major film role was in the David Fincher-directed fantasy The Curious Case of…

Filmography

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Tizzy Weathers
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as Uncle Aaron (voice)
• The Place Beyond the Pines as Kofi Kancam
• Hidden Figures as Jim Johnson
• Moonlight as Juan
• Alita: Battle Angel as Vector
• Green Book as Dr. Don Shirley
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as Uncle Aaron (voice)
• Swan Song as Cameron Turner
• Eternals as Eric Brooks / Blade (voice) (uncredited)

TV

• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Mark Foster
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Tombs' Security Guard
• Invincible as Titan (voice)
• House of Cards as Remy Danton
• True Detective as Wayne Hays
• Lie to Me as Detective Hughes
• The 4400 as Richard Tyler
• Crossing Jordan as Trey Sanders
• Room 104 as Franco
• Alphas as Nathan Clay